


Not this time

by ElectronicStar



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Angst, Clerith, Cloud needs a hug, Dream Sequence, F/M, fluff?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24455287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectronicStar/pseuds/ElectronicStar
Summary: Cloud just wants to protect Aerith. But will he be able to?
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 5
Kudos: 69





	1. Won't let you go

Cloud woke up and found himself in a forest. But it didn't look like any forest he's ever been. It kinda looked...different than anything he's ever seen before. The trees were white and glowed...And the atmosphere was...calm and kinda magical. Was that even a place that really existed or was that a dream?

He pulled himself off the ground and looked around, wondering how he ended up here. The last thing he remembered was...The blonde gritted his teeth at the memories. He hit Aerith. They got the Black Materia. Then he heard Sephiroth's voice in his head. He remembered breaking down and Aerith's voice calling him with worry lacing her voice. And as she approached him, asking him what's wrong with him...he attacked her. He punched her face and the impact sent her to the ground. Nanaki called out to them, but he barely heard anything.

Then he went to Aerith, who lay on the ground. He was towering above her and then he hit her again. And again. Until Nanaki jumped on him and knocked him out.

Cloud stared at his trembling hands and balled them into fists. Those hands...that were supposed to protect her...hurt her instead. He hurt her. In his rage, he punched a random tree and shut his eyes tightly. How was he supposed to look into her eyes now? There's nothing he could do to make it up to her. He knew Aerith would forgive him, though, that's how she was. Kind, forgiving...But he wouldn't forgive himself. Not for what he's done to her.

“Cloud?“ As he heard this certain voice calling his name, he opened his eyes again and was immediately met with a pair of emerald green eyes. His own widened in surprise and he took a step back.

The flower girl tilted her head and looked at him with a smile on her face. As if nothing happened. But he saw the evidence on her face. A bruised lip. A black mark on her cheek. Clenching his teeth again, he looked away from her. He felt too guilty to care about hiding it and the pain from showing on his face. Then a warm and soft hand touched his cheek in a very familiar way and made him look up again. But he couldn't look at Aerith too long. Her bruises were a painful reminder that he did the unthinkable to her. Something unforgiving. The biggest sin he's ever done in his entire life. “Are you okay, Cloud?“ She asked and Cloud could've laughed at the irony. He's supposed to ask her this.

“No.“ He mumbled, before looking up at her and trying to ignore bruises he gave her. “Are you?“

Her smile widened. “Don't I look like it?“ She asked him, making him frown.

“No.“ She didn't look fine to him. Not at all. Not with these bruises, the black spot.

Aerith's hand left his face and he already missed her warmth. “Oh, you mean because of this?“ She asked, pointing at said black spot. It made Cloud look away again. “Don't worry! I'm fine.“ Cloud didn't believe her. And since he refused to look at her, now both her hands cupped his face and turned his head to her. His face burned where she touched him. But he couldn't say that it was unpleasant. “I'm fine, Cloud.“

The blonde kept quiet, only nodded. He didn't want to talk about it, so after a silent moment he asked the obvious. “Where are we?“

Again she let go of him and Cloud fought the urge to grab her wrists to keep her hands in place. “This is the Sleeping Forest. After that comes the City of the Ancients.“

Cloud looked at the direction she pointed. Well, it's obviously a long way to the city, he only saw the same glowing trees. Then he looked back at Aerith, only to see that she wasn't there anymore. His heart skipped two beats, as he frantically turned around to look for her. And then she peaked her head out from behind a tree and Cloud couldn't help but sigh in relieve. He was thinking that the whole time, but didn't dare to ask Aerith yet. This had to be another dream...After all, where were the others? “Cloud, let me handle Sephiroth.“

The blonde frowned. But before he could ask her anything, she continued. “It's only a matter of time till Sephiroth uses Meteor. Only a Cetra can stop him.“ Cloud didn't like where this was going...He didn't like that at all. He only looked away for a second but it was enough for Aerith to disappear again. And it made him panic once again. “And Cloud?“ He immediately turned around when he heard her voice right behind him. She was so close to him. At any other time he'd back away from her, but not this time. Cloud already feared what might happen next and he rather had her close to him. “Take care of yourself. So you don't have a breakdown, okay?“

“Aerith...“ He began, but she won't let him speak. Her hand was on his cheek again, as if she knew that he yearned for her touch now more than ever.

“It's okay. I'll come back when it's all over.“ Somehow these words triggered something in Clouds mind. The headache was back. And so were the visions. Of Sephiroth falling down with his sword pointed downwards to use it on someone. The light green Materia falling into water. And...Aerith praying? It wasn't the first time he saw this. And with the way Aerith talked...Maybe this vision will come true very soon. Sephiroth might be there already, waiting. There's no way he'll let her go alone. Just as he felt her hand slipping from his face he grabbed her again, just like in his last dream. But this time he was actually able to hold her.

Cloud made sure her hand stayed where it was and leaned into her touch. “I said I want a say in all this...“ He said, while Aerith gave him a sad smile. It broke his heart to see her so sad. All he wanted was to make her happy. “I won't let you go. Not this time.“ Her smile almost slipped from her face and he could see tears gathering in her beautiful eyes.

“I'm sorry.“ Even though he held onto her hand tightly, it still slipped from his grip. The same green light was seen as the last time he couldn't hold her. “I need to do this.“ With that said she turned away.

“I'll come for you and bring you back.“ He said as he tried to grab her arm, but his hand fazed right through her, over and over. He just couldn't get a hold on her.

“Thanks...but don't.“ With this said, she ran. Even though Cloud knew that he can't touch her, he still ran after her tried to hold her back. Every time he was close enough to grab her arm, his hand slid through her. And then it felt like he couldn't move from his spot, no matter how fast he ran. Meanwhile Aerith ran at the same pace until she vanished in the depths of the forest.

“Aerith!!“ He yelled at the top of his lungs, but she was already gone.


	2. Won't let you Die

Cloud was practically dragging the others around like dead weight. They just weren't fast enough! He got in lots of fights with his teammates. Cloud yelled at Cid for making the Tiny Bronco go faster, Cid yelled back, then Barret yelled and then Tifa as she tried to stop their fight.

Trying to find out where the hell this Sleeping Forest is, was taking way too long. And now that they knew it, they should hurry up before anything happened! But instead they only slowed him down. “Can't this stupid thing go faster?!“ Cloud yelled at Cid yet again.

“How many fucking times do I have to tell ya this?! Sit down and shut the fuck up, it's going as fast as it can!“ Cid yelled back at him, making the ex-SOLDIER only angrier.

“Guys! Please.“ Said Tifa, before Cloud yell back at the pilot. Instead he huffed and stared at the sea. Deep down he knew that they're all effected by Aerith's disappearance. They're all extremely tense and edgy, but his worry for Aerith made him feel ten times worse. Aerith obviously planned all this and wrote everyone of them a letter. A farewell letter. Or...should he say suicide note? After all, Aerith was in danger more than ever. She was alone, Sephiroth was either in this city already or will follow her there and she knew it. She knew she might die, that's what she hinted at in the letters. 'In case I won't come back', 'if I don't make it' those where the things she wrote.

He didn't know what she wrote to the others but they might have a similar end. As everyone took their time to read them, he noticed that there were tear stains on every paper. She was obviously crying a lot and he was too unconscious to help her. And the others haven't noticed what's been going on with Aerith. Tifa and Yuffie have been crying when they read their letters, Vincent was just silently staring at it. Nanaki was mostly quiet, too, except for some sniffling noises. They became good friends, that much was obvious. Aerith always used to pet and tickle his ears and nose and even though he said he didn't like it, he didn't do anything to stop her. Cait Sith was silent the whole time and of course they could only guess what Reeve's reaction on the other end was. Cid's been cursing under his breath the whole time, he didn't even smoke once that day. Maybe because Aerith always told him to stop smoking. And Barret was mumbling things, too. He didn't sound as angry as Cid, more annoyed.

And then there's Cloud himself. He got two letters. One for him and one for Elmyra. He just didn't understand why she wanted him of all people deliver her this...He wasn't really Elmyra's favorite person. As the blonde waited impatiently till they finally reached their destination, he kept reading the letter over and over. She told him her plan in the letter, actually the same that she told him in his dream. She didn't say what she'll do, only that she's the only one who can do anything. He only wished she told him what it was she had to do. Was that really something none of them could help her with? Was it really necessary to go alone? They could've at least stayed with her and protect her, while she's doing her Cetra magic...

Cloud wasn't really sure where he should direct his anger to. He was angry at himself for letting all this happen. He was angry at his teammates for not keeping a closer eye on Aerith. And, of course, he was angry at Aerith for leaving him. Them. For leaving them. Cloud knew she could fight, she was a powerful mage, but there's no way she could beat Sephiroth.

When they finally reached Bone Village, Cloud was the first to get off the Tiny Bronco and ran ahead. He heard the others behind him calling him to wait and slow down, but that's not a thing he could do. He had to find Aerith as fast as possible! But he was stopped anyway. The people there told him he needed a Lunar Harp to even get through the forest. And in his despair he would've dug for it with bare hands.

But he was forced by everyone to be patient. Even wait overnight, goddammit! Of course he didn't get any sleep, he just wanted to find Aerith as fast as possible! He had no idea how everyone else were able to sleep. The guys luckily found the harp on their first try and then he went back to dragging his teammates around like the dead weight they were.

As they went through the forest, they noticed gigantic shells lying around. At some point it looked more like they're underwater. So this was the City of the Ancients...The team split up to look for any signs of where Aerith might be, but they couldn't find her. Although Cloud did feel something pull at his heartstrings, but it only lead to a dead end...After searching through the whole day, they eventually decided to rest for a while. Cloud desperately wanted to keep searching but he checked every shell building and possible hiding spots more than thrice. She wasn't here. Or...at least they couldn't see her. Because his heart told him that she was here. But there was really nothing he could do right now.

* * *

Cloud woke up with a start. He had no idea what woke him up, but his heart was racing in his chest and he felt the urge to hurry. The pull in his heart increased, as if trying to lead him exactly where he had to go. “Guys!“ He yelled at everyone, who were sleeping peacefully. Cloud jumped off the bed and grabbed his sword. “Wake up!“ The blonde yelled again, when his teammates stirred awake.

“What? Is something wrong?“ Asked Tifa sleepily and rubbed her tired eyes.

“I hope it's important spike.“ Grumbled Barret.

“We need to go.“ Was the only thing Cloud said. After all, he had no idea what just happened either or where they're supposed to go.

“Where?“ Asked Yuffie, saying the question everyone were asking themselves. But Cloud didn't have an answer. At least not a direct one.

“To Aerith.“

“So what, you know where she is?“ Asked Cid skeptically and Cloud couldn't hold it against him. They looked everywhere and couldn't find her.

“Not really...I know for sure she's here. I can feel it in my soul. Uh...“

Before he could feel embarrassed over his words, Tifa nodded, encouraging. “Lead the way then.“ And that he did. He went back to the biggest shell building, right in front of a lake. It was like he was pulled there by an unseen force. They looked there first, but it was empty, too. So Cloud expected that nothing changed.

“I smell her!“ Called Nanaki suddenly. Everyone looked at the wolf-like creature. He sniffed the air and the ground, before pointing to the stairs with his snout. “Up there.“

Cloud was the first that leaped on the stairs, running up till he saw a hidden path that hasn't been here the first time around. A very long cystal-like staircase brought them back down again, underground perhaps. But there was light down there and even an underground lake. And in the middle of it all, on a platform that looked like an shrine, knelled the flower girl, praying and seemingly unaware that she's been found.

“Aerith!“ Cloud jumped down the rest of the stairs and ran towards her, stopping right before the lake. The others quickly caught up to him. Tifa was about to go to her friend, but Cloud stopped her. He'll go first. The blonde hopped on the little platforms leading up to her and then he was right in front of her. There was so much he wanted to tell her. He wanted to apologize, ask her if she's okay, what she's doing and why she left on her own. But he couldn't get out a single word. Instead, the headache returned and his vision blurred. An invincible force made him take his sword. He held the sword tightly with both hands and slowly brought it up over his head.

Cloud tried to fight it, but he lost all control over his body. Something else was making him move and there's a little voice in the back of his head tellim him to 'do it'. Just as he was about to bring the sword down on her, his teammates pulled him out of this trance.

“Cloud!“ Called Tifa.

“Stop!!“ Growled Nanaki.

“No!“ Exclaimed Yuffie and Cait Sith horrified.

“What the hell are ya doin'?!“ Yelled Barret.

“Get a fucking grip, Spike!“ Shouted Cid.

“Snap out of it!“ Added Vincent at last.

Cloud backed away from the flower girl, shaking his head and letting the sword fall to the ground. “What are you making me do...?“ He grumbled, even if Sephiroth himself couldn't hear him. The fog in his mind cleared and he saw Aerith smiling at him. How could she smile when he was about to kill her? Or did she smile because he successfully defeated Sephiroth in his mind? Then something behind her glowed pale green and her smile brightened. Whatever she did there it must work.

They looked at each others eyes for a moment longer, before Cloud noticed something lurking from above. Something...black and silver. He didn't need to look to know what it was. And when something moved in the corner of his eyes, he moved too. To Cloud this felt like forever. How he ran to Aerith to push her away and cover her with his body. But it only took seconds. And when his brain caught up, he noticed he wasn't the only one to protect Aerith. Tifa was right beside him, having had the same idea as him. They were both lying on top of Aerith, shielding her with their bodies from whatever harm that may come to her.

And behind them he heard metal hitting the floor. Everything was a blur. He heard Barret and the others yell. And then gunshots. But for now he only looked down at Aerith. “Cloud. Tifa...“ She said surprised but happy.

“We got you, Aerith.“ Said Tifa, smiling at the flower girl happily. Aerith's eyes filled with tears and even though there was so much Cloud wanted to say right now, but now was not the time. He looked behind him to see Sephiroth already being attacked by the group. If they were just one second too slow...No, he didn't want to think about it.

“Tifa, stay with Aerith.“ The ex-SOLDIER ordered, only receiving a determined nod from the martial artist. Cloud got up on his wobbly legs and ran over to his sword, while Sephiroth transformed into another Jenova monster.

The team helped him fight the monster and Tifa made sure Aerith was save, even if they knew Aerith could fight too. But this time her safety was more important than ever, because they almost did lose her a few seconds ago. And there's no way in hell he'd let this happen again. Once they finally killed the monster, Cloud was by Aerith's side in a second. “Are you okay?!“ He asked, the panic was still in his voice. They may have prevented Sephiroth from hurting her, but she could've still hurt herself on the way here. Not to mention...the bruises she still had from him. But they weren't as visible as in his dream. She surely cast some healing spells to let them fade.

“I'm fine.“ She answered, sniffling slightly. “Thanks to you guys.“ Cloud's heart skipped a beat, when she wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged him tightly. He was pretty sure she could hear how fast his heart was pounding in his chest. But he was hesitant to hug her back. He still couldn't trust himself around Aerith. He attacked her twice now. Well almost twice, but still. “But you didn't have to do it. It...would've been okay.“ Aerith mumbled into his neck. He couldn't believe what he was hearing there. His jaw clenched tightly and he balled his fists. Did she seriously just tell him that dying was okay for her?! Now he did hug her back, his previous hesitance forgotten. His arms wrapped around her slender waist and pulled her as close as physically possible.

“Are you insane?“ Cloud wanted his voice to sound harsh and angry, but it sounded more desperate and broken. “Don't say this.“

“But...“ He felt her pulling away to look into his face, but he'd probably break down completely if she did. His left hand grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back against his chest.

“I said don't.“ He repeated, burying his face into her hair and taking a deep breath to calm down. Well...nothing could calm his nerves as much as Aerith's flowery scent did.

The blonde shivered, when Aerith's hand ran gently over the back of his neck and through his hair. His heart was still pounding as if he just ran a marathon. Well, it wasn't wrong...“Calm down.“ Aerith whispered, as she kept caressing him. She surely heard his fast heartbeat, his still rigid breath. The panic didn't let go of him, the adrenaline of the shock and battle was still flowing through his veins and he felt himself trembling. His grip on her tightened and as he recalled the moment...The moment where he almost lost her. Where Sephiroth almost pierced his sword through her...Despite himself he felt tears gathering in his eyes and before he even had the chance to fight them back, they're already gliding down his cheeks. Cloud gritted his teeth, not sure if he should feel embarrassed about it or just feel happy that he was able to save her. He decided for the latter.

Although, it was very embarrassing to cry his eyes out in Aerith's hair while the team was watching them the whole time. They surely wanted to talk with Aerith, too, but he wasn't done with her yet. “Aerith...“ He whispered with a broken voice. Cloud wished he could hold her tighter, but he was afraid he might hurt her if he did.

“It's okay.“ She said, her hand didn't stop running through his hair and over his neck. It was very calming, but Cloud was so relieved to have saved her that he couldn't stop crying. “Everything's okay, Cloud. I'm here.“ These two last words echoed in his head. Yes, she was here. He saved her. He and Tifa saved her. “I'm here.“ She repeated, letting him hold her for as long as he needed. Eventually she managed to calm him down. Her soft voice and the way she caressed him did their job. Still, he needed to take a few deep breaths before he was able to let Aerith go again. He really wished he could hold her forever and never let go.

Aerith very slowly pulled away and gave him the most beautiful smile ever. Her eyes were wet and red, too. She cried, too. Maybe she was just as happy as he was? “You good?“ She asked, tilting her head in a very cute way. He's learned a long, long time ago that she's not someone to take for granted, but now he'll cherish her even more from now on. For as long as he lived, he'll make sure she's safe and sound. Her safety was the most important thing. He didn't care about Sephiroth and his stupid plan. He'll only defeat him for Aerith's sake. Aerith wanted to protect the planet and he'll help her as best as he could.

Cloud nodded and then was led off the shrine by her. She held his hand, grounding him. Tifa went to the others while he had his breakdown. And the rest...they all went halfway back to the stairs, their backs facing them to give them their privacy. Now he felt bad for yelling at them earlier. “Guys.“ To his demise, Aerith let go of his hand once they reached them.

The group turned around and in a second Tifa and Yuffie hugged the flower girl tightly. “Aerith, don't ever do this again!“ Scolded Tifa, but hugged her tighter. Yuffie was right out crying.

“Sorry...I had to do this...“ Aerith said with a meek voice. Once the girls let her go, the guys approached her.

“Do ya have an idea what a heart attack ya gave us?“ Asked Barret, who wanted to sound harsh, but his voice was too soft. He gave her a bear hug, literally.

“We were all so worried about you!“ Said Caith Sith that still sat on his big Moogle.

Then Cid put a hand on her shoulder. “Do ya have an idea how fucking annoying Spike was once you left?“ Cloud and Cid glared at each other for a moment, while the flower girl giggled.

“I'm sorry, really. I won't leave you alone with Cloud ever again.“ She joked. Then Nanaki went to her and sat down.

“I'm glad you're okay, Aerith.“ He said and as she kneeled down to tickle his nose he let it happen. Even Vincent told her how glad he was that they could save her in time. He also looked at Cloud as he said this.

“I'm sorry...“ Repeated Aerith and looked around the group. “I didn't want you to worry about me...but I had to go. Only a Cetra can stop Sephiroth.“

“And how the hell are ya supposed to stop him when you're dead?!“ Yelled Cid at her, who earned himself death glares from everyone. Except Aerith, of course.

“What were you doing there?“ Asked Tifa then. At this, Aerith reached behind her head to the pink ribbon.

“The elders taught me a lot in the Temple...“ She began, as she pulled the ribbon off. “They told me everything about the Black Materia. What it can do to the planet. And how to stop it.“ Then she took her 'useless' Materia out of the ribbon and showed it to them. It was smaller than normal and now glowed a pale green color. Everyone stared at it for a moment. “They told me I've got it all along. The Materia my mother gave me...It's the White Materia. With it, I can summon Holy. And stop Meteor.“

“Wait.“ Interrupted Barret. “You're telling us we have what it takes to stop this maniac? And ya didn't tell us?“

Now Aerith looked down, guiltily. “I...didn't want you to get hurt.“ She said as she balled her fist around her Materia. “I know Sephiroth knew I have it. And we both knew in order to summon Holy I had to come here. I thought if I went alone you all would be save.“

To all of their surprise, Yuffie slapped her. It wasn't rough, but enough to snap them all out of this daze. Cloud couldn't help but glare at the girl's back and Tifa looked like she wanted to scold her, but then the little ninja was back in Aerith's arms. “You're a dumbass!“ She yelled, crying in the flower girls arms.

“Yuffie and Cid are right.“ Agreed Nanaki. “Did you really think we wouldn't follow you? After everything we've been through?“

“Did you think getting yourself killed would help any of us?“ Added Tifa, her eyes were still filled with tears. “It would've done us more harm than anything Sephiroth could ever do to us.“

Aerith looked at the ground guiltily, while still trying to calm Yuffie down. “I'm sorry.“ She mumbled, looking so sad that Cloud wanted to hug her again. But the group did it for him already. They all came together in a group hug. Barret had to pull him and Vincent in and Nanaki just rubbed his head on Aerith's leg. And last came Cait and the Moogle, squishing them all together.

* * *

Once they were all outside again, they decided to take a nap before they had to leave again. The battle was hard and they all had to recover from the shock.

Just as Aerith wanted to follow the others into these shell houses, Cloud held her back. He took her hand and didn't speak until the others vanished inside. Aerith just waited for him to talk, while he tried to get the words out. “Aerith...Promise me you won't leave like this again.“

The flower girl tilted her head to the side. “Cloud...“

“Promise me.“ He interrupted her harshly, but felt like apologizing the second she flinched.

“I didn't know you'd be so worried about me...“ She mumbled. Cloud knew she was stalling, but...

“Of course I'm worried about you.“ His grip on her hand tightened slightly, but not enough to hurt her. “Just promise me you won't run off again. I have no idea what I should do without...“ Cloud stopped when he realized what he said, but now it wouldn't make any difference anymore. “You...“ This might be a good chance to tell her his feelings. Something like this could happen again and he'd regret it till the rest of his life for not telling her. “You're very important to me, Aerith.“ He said, looking away from her gorgeous eyes. “I...“

Before he could say it, he felt a little finger on his lips. Then the hand cupped his cheek and turned his head towards her. She gave him a sad smile. “Are you really sure about this?“

Cloud had no idea what she meant with that, but yeah, he was sure and dead serious. “I love you.“ He finally said, staring into her eyes. Aerith's green eyes filled with tears and did something he wanted since they were alone. He pulled her into another hug, but this time to comfort her and not himself.

But her words was nothing he expected. “I'm sorry, Cloud. I didn't want to cause you so much pain.“ She said, her voice was muffled against his chest. “I thought if I could prevent you from falling in love with me...you wouldn't be that hurt.“

“You did a terrible job then.“ He mumbled into her hair. “I love you since we first met. Didn't help that Shinra kidnapped you. Or our date in the Gold Saucer. Or everything that happened since then. Just made me love you more.“ Now, Aerith hugged him back, gripping his clothes tightly.

“I love you, too, Cloud.“ She eventually said after a silent moment. This was enough to fill his heart wich such a warmth and it felt like a heavy weight was lifted off of it. “But Cloud, me dying here was supposed to be fate...“

“Screw fate.“ He grumbled, holding her closer. “We already defied it multiple times, heck we killed off the keepers of fate. You said the future is open and I want you to be in that future you're fighting for.“ Aerith was silent then. He just hoped he could reach her the way he wanted. “We're gonna protect you, okay? And if you'd just promise not to run off again we can save the planet together. Now that you summoned Holy, we're on a good way to prevent Sephiroth's plan. And with you by my- our side, we'll be able to defeat him easily.“

“I have the feeling you wanted to say something else.“ The old Aerith was back, teasing him like always. He could kiss her.

“With you by my side, I can defeat this son of a bitch.“

Now, Aerith pulled away slightly to look at his face. “Cloud Strife, did you kiss your mother with that mouth of yours?“

“No, that came after...“

Aerith's eyes widened in horror and realization. “Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! Forget what I said!“

The blonde couldn't help but chuckle at her outburst. Sure, it still hurt talking and thinking of his mother, but that was normal when you lost someone you loved. At least now he could protect someone. Would his mother be proud? “It's okay.“ He said, as he pulled her closer again and leaned his head on hers.

“Cloud?“ Said blonde hummed, telling her that he was listening. “Look at me.“ He didn't let her go immediately, he took a moment to relish her warmth against him, her flowery smell, before pulling away enough to look at her face. Then her hands cupped his face again and pulled him down to her. And before he even realized what's happening, their lips met. It wasn't anything special, just a light brush that was over in a second, but it meant everything to Cloud.

It wasn't even his first kiss, but a kiss with Aerith. Now he could die a happy man. “I promise I won't run off again. We'll do this together.“

Cloud cupped her face and pulled her up for another sweet kiss. “Thank you.“ He mumbled, as he leaned his forehead against hers.


End file.
